Locations nominated for Mobile Black Spot Programme

Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt has welcomed the release of a database of locations, which have been nominated by Australians as having inadequate mobile coverage.

Locations on the database will be eligible for a new or enhanced mobile base station, under the Abbott Government’s $100 million Mobile Black Spot Programme.

Mr Pitt said he first called for local public input in December last year, before hosting a community forum in Hervey Bay in April with Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications, Paul Fletcher.

“I’m delighted so many Hinkler residents have engaged in the process, to nominate 25 local locations for upgrade,” Mr Pitt said.

“The volume of locations nominated is evidence of the strong demand for improved mobile phone coverage in regional Australia.

“Inadequate mobile coverage is a significant concern for regional communities. Lives can literally depend on accessing mobile phone networks in emergencies, so expanding mobile phone coverage clearly has benefits to public safety, as well as to the productive and economic capacity of regional communities like Hinkler.”

Mr Pitt said the $100 million would be allocated nationally through a competitive selection process, under which telecommunications companies will nominate locations – drawn from the 6,000 on the database – where they would build a new or enhanced mobile base station.

The process is expected to leverage at least an additional $100 million in investment from bidding parties, state governments and local councils. The government expects that between 250 and 300 new mobile phone base stations will be built around the country.

The Government expects to announce the locations, which have been selected for funding, in the first half of 2015. The first base stations funded under the Programme are expected to begin to roll out in the second half of 2015.

The database of mobile black spot locations can be viewed at: www.communications.gov.au/mobile_services/mobile_black_spot_programme/map

Locations nominated by the public in the Hinkler Electorate:

· Alloway

· Apple Tree Creek

· Bargara

· Bruce Highway (Between Bundaberg and Maryborough)

· Bruce Highway (Between Childers and Maryborough)

· Bundaberg

· Burnett Heads

· Childers

· Craignish

· Dundowran

· Dundowran Beach

· Elliott

· Elliott Heads

· Eureka

· Goodwood

· Goodwood Road (Between Bundaberg and Maryborough)

· Goodwood Road (Between Childers and Bundaberg)

· Goodwood Road (Foleys Road Intersection)

· Hervey Bay

· Innes Park

· Pacific Haven

· Redridge

· Urangan

· Woodgate

· Woongarra

Media contact: Larine Statham 0427 653 814